Last month you may recall we had a special Mother’s Day PSN Community Spotlight. In the chaos that was E3 and the week that followed, I completely forgot to make a shoutout for all those gamer Dads out there for Father’s Day! So this week, check out this story from PSN member JoeTheBeast16. Read on to see how PlayStation plays a big part in his family’s life.

PlayStation, A Valued Member of My Family

I’ve been a gamer ever since the first time I picked up a controller but in the past few years, gaming has become a valuable part of my family life.

To start, I’ll give a little bit of background. I’m 20 years old, and a stay at home dad. In October of 2008, I met a wonderful girl, and fell in love rather quickly. She didn’t like videogames at all when she met me, but when I convinced her to play some multiplayer in Haze with me, she fell in love with it, playing everything from Far Cry 2 to Army of Two, as well as Call Of Duty (what can I say, she loves shooting stuff).

With the help of PlayStation, we bonded and grew together over the first year of our relationship, and then in December of 2009 we welcomed our daughter into the world. From helping her pass the time while she was recovering from giving birth, to giving us something we could do quietly while our daughter was napping, PlayStation served as an important comfort for us while we adapted to our new lives. I started working when our daughter was 3 months old, and for over a year she stayed at home, taking care of our daughter and taking care of the house while I was working, not to mention playing MAG, COD, and Battlefield, when she had time. We’d play a few matches together when I got home from work, and then we’d go to bed. This continued until she grew a little stir-crazy, so we decided to switch things up a bit; she got a job and I quit mine. Now she works during the day, and games with me at night. So I became a stay at home dad, and I’ve loved every moment with my beautiful daughter. I’ve even used my PlayStation Eye to capture home movies.

Our daughters first steps captured with PlayStation Eye. I’ll admit she took a few steps before I had the idea to start the video.

My daughter is now 2 and a half, and she’s loving PlayStation as much as we are, from Eye Pet to Little Big Planet and Learning With the PooYoo’s, she loves to game. We now have 2 PS3s, so we can either play online matches on different screens, or play splitscreen on one, while our daughter watches Netflix or Hulu Plus on the other.

PlayStation is more than just gaming for us, it’s entertainment as a whole for our family. It enables us to do more than just game together. We watch 3D movies together on our PlayStation 3D Display, we exercise together with our PlayStation Move, heck, I even use my PS Vita and my laptop as a baby monitor using the Skype app to keep an eye on my daughter if I have to duck out for a minute. I could go on and on, reminiscing about all of the wonderful memories that our family has shared with the PlayStation brand, but that would do little to convey just how much we love it.

Let me put it this way, when E3 had arrived, we all sat down with popcorn in hand, ready to enjoy the PlayStation press conference – like a family sitting down to watch a loved one in a school play or a sports game, it’s always nice to see a family member shine. As much as I’d like to keep typing, I have some chores to do and then I have to go work on my PS Vita Pure Chess strategy since my wife gets home later tonight, and we’ve got a tournament planned.

Congrats to JoeTheBeast16, who is now the recipient of a $50 voucher redeemable in the PlayStation Store! Send in your stories here, and feel free to read JoeTheBeast16’s original submission right here.

Nice story you put out for us it pretty good what you put about the importantsof life and gaming it remind me when I was so little like about 3 years old when I begin to walk. Then 6 years I became a gamer not just gaming but for family to enjoy and be happy and my father was so proud of me bein happy. I love your story it almost the same as me but different and have a great successfully family and your gaming. And thanKyou for your story it really mean it to us.

I think this was my favorite story so far! Make sure you get LBP for Vita and COD. Speaking of COD declassifed would be nice to have a trailer especially since were going to have to pay $50! Better have zombies too!

Here’s a person whose name I recognize on the blog. Joe, I had no idea you are so young, and a dad, too. Your little girl is a doll! I see she’s quite the gamer, with the Move & Vita. Adorable. Very nice story, thanks for sharing.

nice story, hey Morgan do you know if we’re ever gonna get head to head online multiplayer Modnation Racers Road Trip patch? i would love to see Heavenly Sword, inFAMOUS and MediEvil coming to the little system, Sir Daniel Fortesque is awesome!!!

what i really want to know when will the youtube app
will be release for the psvita u guys is almost the end
of the month we are in 3rd week already and no app
release iam starting to think it will not be release.

Will you guys please stop posting your ‘wants’ in the comment section of these community spotlight threads? It’s kind of rude, and you should know by now that you won’t get a response.

Anyway great story dude, I really enjoyed reading it! And that family picture looks awesome. I can only hope to have a family that is all obsessed with PS as I am.

And @ 11, just wait until next Tuesday, they said YouTube is coming at the END of the month! Remember with the Skype app we didn’t know it was coming until the last minute? That’s most likely what is going to happen.

This reads more like a sad story of hyper consumerism than anything. You’re 20, you don’t work. You have 2 PS3’s, a Vota, Move, etc. while I’m sure your wife with similar educational background is not exactly bringing down the big bucks for your family to thrive. I’d suggest this as a cautionary tale of how sadly someone exists around this console and rather than experiencing the world, he brags of his daughters gaming habits. I hope you’re at least in school, she is too and there’s some future and many many chances to turn this crap off and go outside.

That is a awesome story. I enjoyed your video and the family pic was great. I like putting a face on to your words. I am also a stay at home dad (disabled vet-long story). My kids (4 and 7) enjoy playing games with me. My wife; not so much. She thinks I have a problem. HAHAHAH.

@ijustw1n
We go outside a lot actually, Chloe loves the park.
Mary is in college to be an RN, and works, making pretty good money, and gets all the hours she wants.
I stay at home because we made that decision as a family- when I was working, I wasn’t making nearly what Mary was offered when she got her job, so it made sense.
We don’t only game, that would be a foolish assumption to make based off of the idea that when we wind down from the day we have a specific console that we use for all of our entertainment needs.
We go on family vacations (amusement parks, camping, etc…- I literally just got home from a 2 day camping trip about a half hour ago, brought the Vita with for music in the tent!)
I can kind of see how you could skew my post into a “cautionary” tale, but that would be a strange caution… “Be Ware, This Path Leads to Happiness!”
I hope your life finds a way to help you be a little more optimistic, life’s too short!

Awesome story Joe. I don’t really post a lot on here, but I thought I’d give feedback towards something that I really enjoy. I’ve really gone to like this community spotlight since I started reading them a few weeks back. I don’t know a lot of gamer folks around me, so it’s cool to see that there are others out there that are into the same hobby as I am (if not even more!) And like what the others have already said, you’re baby is so adorable!! :-)

@ijustw1n: Let’s not assume so much and be judgmental with what little has been posted online. I don’t think JoeTheBeast16 and his wife would be able to afford everything that they enjoy right now if they have no means of actually generating an income. He just shared the things that folks on this forum would be able to relate to and, quite frankly, we don’t really need to know the details of their daily lives. Let’s just enjoy things for what they are supposed to be.

Joe, you certainly are a beast… of positivity! Not only is your story touching, but your response to @ijustw1in was nothing short of inspirational. If we all had the patience to respond in a positive fashion to the trolls who live under the blogs, they would find something better to do, like go outside! Congrats on your beautiful family and your $50 PSN certificate, and keep up the good work!

Just something PlayStation related. I look for stories a bit more than origin stories of how you got into gaming, although yes I know that was the first one =) It should be a unique story to your gaming life. Or, talk about your perspective on gaming today. Was there news from E3 you want to dig deeper on? These are just suggestions, but take a look at past entries and know that I’m always looking for a type of story that hasn’t been written about before. But everyone brings their own history, so just find that in your gaming history / perspective, and give it a shot!

this forum is about PS not family vacations and career goals, try his facebook not PS Blog! why are u on the website thats a blog about Playstation, u sound like a hater, im just sayin, no b! tchazzness on ps blog bro, (14). The First Baby of PS, she is adorable!

Did he really had to share with everyone that he is to lazy to go to work and that he sent his Girlfriend/Wife to work while he “Stay At home” playing games day and night ?

I’m staying at home too.. but i am a “Work At Home” Dad… having multiple online business in Web Development & Online Marketing… not just playing games all day and sending my wife to work so i can have money to eat and buy more games…

Dude, your wife should leave you immediately just because you are too lazy to go to work and play games in your free time.. not day and night..

No offense, just my thoughts as a Working + Playing Guy… not just Playing 24/7 …

I don’t really know how you got the impression that all I do is play games, but that’s certainly an interesting take on it. As I stated previously, Mary and I made the decision as a family for me to stay at home when she got a job making more money than I did at my job, so now she works and goes to college, while I take care of our child and the house. I’ve been exploring a few potential home business ideas, but Mary and I don’t want to spread ourselves too thin.
As we do not pay for child care, I have my hands full while Mary is at work, so I rarely get the opportunity to play games or do much else unless Mary is home, or my chores happen to be done when Chloe decides to take a nap (which is Very rare, she’s a rather active little girl).
If you have such a distaste for your own situation there is no need to project that onto me, I expected a few trolls when I found out that I’d won, but honestly, I’m pleasantly surprised by how few and far between you guys really are. :)
Perhaps there is some hope for the people on the internet :P

Well, you really know it all, don’t you? How can he have time to game ALL DAY if he’s got a little girl to look after? If you’re really a stay-at-home dad like you claim, you would know what it’s like, so I think you’re just blowing smoke.

@JoeTheBeast16 you are missing my point here.. my son is bigger ( 8 )… but that doesn’t matter… Your Girlfriend/Wife is the Rooster in your family… She has College + Job to sustain the entire family…

What can i say more… there are man with balls.. and those without… if you would have struggled a little you could have found a better job for you and let her be the woman in your family… but.. we can’t be all the same :) You’re still young.. you’ll see more later when you grow up and hit the big walls that the Life is offering…

@PrimeroIncognito i can hear all the time how Gamers are taking care of their kids when playing COD MW3… if you play it, you know what i mean… Gamers playing and small kids crying in the background…

When you have a family, you need to do everything humanly possible to take care of it and out gaming in the last place.. but like i said, he will see that i’m right in a few months or few years as he grow up or when his girlfriend/wife will get tired of this situation…

Each person has the right to his opinion… that’s why there’s a comment area…

@Stefan27 How can you say “each person has the right to his opinion” when just above that you say “He will see that I’m right”. I’m 30 years old, and have 3 girls; 11, 10, and 2. I’ve owned my own web business, and worked a regular 9-5pm. I’ve also been straight unemployed. But currently I’m in a VERY similar situation to JoeTheBeast. I won’t pretend to know all the details that make up their situation, nor am I going to exhaustively explain mine, to the likes of you.

But the long and short of it is, you’re not a “Man” based on your ability to bring in a paycheck. What makes you a “Man” is being able to facilitate any role that your family may need. Even if that means being a stay at home dad while you catch flack from ignorant people, such as yourself. It’s a full time job to take care of the house and RAISE a child/children.

If you have some build in defect, where you were raised to provide an income, and nothing else matters, wake up. There’s more to life than money. If two people have an understanding, who are you to come along and say it’s not right! Reflect on your own advice, “Each person has the right to his opinion.” Let’s let God do the judging, you’re nobody.

@stefanv27
Lol, at first I thought you were attacking me purely because you were bitter, but apparently it’s just the good Old fashion sexism. When Mary asked me to quit my job a little over a year ago, we were met with a few people like you that seem to think that it’s my responsibility alone to bring home the bacon while Mary sits at home and does exactly what it is that I do now- and we found it amusing. Mary is a very headstrong person, and there’s really nothing you can say that will convince me or her that the decisions that we’ve made as a Family, are anything but the best things For our Family.

(continued)
Now that I know it’s just your old fashion thinking behind your opinion, I actually feel sorry for you. There’s something so incredibly satisfying to know that you and your partner are on equal footing, and neither one has an obligation to fulfill any specific role on their own- but I guess you’ll never know how that feels.

And to everyone else that has commented with positivity, I truly appreciate the kind words, the support, and the validation- as a man, it is hard sometimes to swallow your pride to do what’s best for your family, and it’s harder still to then post the vulnerability on the internet for the whole world to see, it’s nice to know that there are so many people out there that can appreciate the value of putting your family before your own testosterone driven ego.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank all of you for being so kind.

@stefanv27: Beyond the grammatical error, your comment is offensive to me and every other man who ever stayed home to take care of his family.

I went through college, law school, passed the CA bar exam, and became an attorney. I married a woman who became a doctor. I’m about as old-fashioned and conservative as they come, but when it came time to start a family, the clear choice was for me to stay home while she went back to work. She made more money and had a more stable job situation. So I raised two kids, and worked from home turning a hobby I enjoyed into a career until it was time to re-enter the workforce. And, yes, I played videogames during this time. I’d love you to tell me to my face that I have no balls.

You yourself said that a man’s job is to do everything humanly possible to take care of his family. JoeTheBeast16 seems to have done what he thinks is best for his family. Nothing in his post suggests that he is a lazy couch potato living off his wife as you seem to have inferred. If his wife isn’t happy with their arrangement, I’m sure she will let him know. That’s not your job.

@joethebeast Keep doing what you do sir. As an old fashioned southern raised man your story touched my heart and this notion that a “MAN” has to work and the woman stays at home is ludicrous. Society sure has a way of sending conflicting messages of what a man is and his responsibilities to his family. The fact that you and your wife sat down, disscussed, and agreed that she work and you stay at home is all that needs to be said.. I applaud your ability to balance your marriage, providing for your family, taking care of you daughter and enjoying video games… You truly deserved this award and don’t let the trolls make you question your situation!!